The Sports Rumors

Celtics’ First Hurdle

Let me make it perfectly clear; I am as big a fan of the NBA as any.  However, I don’t pay attention to regular season games in December or prior because they generally mean nothing.  We’ve seen surprising teams get off to hot starts and be ranked first overall in their conference, only to falter come game 30 and end up missing the playoffs completely.  I have seen championship teams start slow, only to gain momentum and a comfort level once the first quarter of the regular season is over.  Now it’s not like I pay absolutely no attention to what is going on.  I know that the Lakers are playing good ball.  I know that the Bulls and Heat are awful right now.  I know that Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio are still the three best teams in the west.  I also know that Boston is one of the top three teams in the East; not the best.  Tonight we saw the first real test of how good Boston is.  They played the Detroit Pistons in Boston, where they were previously undefeated (12-0). 

Why was this game one that I paid attention to?  Simple.  Everyone knows Boston will be a top 3 team in the East come playoff time.  Everyone knows that they have three premiere players in their starting lineup.  What people sometimes forget is that Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett don’t have that much playoff basketball experience combined.  What people forget is that though the Pistons are aging, and are nowhere near as good as they were in 2003, they are the most regular season and playoff tested team east of San Antonio.  The one knock that people have had thus far on Boston is that they haven’t played anyone.  People who want to just hate on them use that argument to keep the Celtics at bay when talking about the elite.  Though I despise all Boston teams, I’m not foolish enough to judge a team based on a schedule that is not their fault.  It’s not their fault that their first big game, their first big test came in game 23.  I reserved my judgment of how good or overrated they were until I got to see them play a formidable opponent with some hype around it.

Before I jump into what I came away with after watching the Pistons-Celtics thriller, let me explain how I viewed the importance of the matchup.  This game, without a doubt, was more important to the Celtics.  The Pistons have been there done that.  No one, not even the Spurs, phases them.  They have playoff veterans on their squad who know how to handle big pressure situations.  Even though they haven’t been to the Finals in a couple of years, they still have the swagger of a title contender.  The Celtics on the under hand, have 9 new players on their team.  Nine.  Think about that for a second.  Their leaders (KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce) have never even made it to the Finals.  All three have missed the playoffs completely for years.  I’m not saying that they are bad players or a bad team; I’m saying that it is important for them to gain some early season confidence by beating teams like Detroit, like San Antonio, like Phoenix, so that come playoff time; they feel that they can hang with them.  I’m not talking about when the series is 0-0 and the score is 10-10 in the first quarter.  Picture Detroit being up 23-10 at the end of the first quarter in Game 2 with the Celtics down 1-0 in the series.  That mental toughness and confidence comes from proving in the regular season that you CAN beat the big boys.  Detroit knows that they can; Boston doesn’t…yet.  Yes it is an 82 game season, but just ask Dallas about the importance of having confidence that you can beat a team.  Golden State had it.  How’d that series turn out?  Did the fact that Dallas won 25 more regular season games than Golden State matter?  I think not. 

That being said, I think Boston and Detroit will have close games each time they play; playoffs or not.  Watching the game, I noticed a couple of things.  The big three play very well together.  Ray Allen looks like he’s five years younger.  Paul Pierce is kind of the awkward piece of the puzzle, but a solid contributor nonetheless.  The supporting cast of Boston isn’t as big of a joke as people made them out to be.  And Kevin Garnett is, well, Kevin Garnett.  A monster.  One play that stood out for me particularly was when Billups turned the ball over with 5.7 seconds left and a tie ball game.  Garnett picked the ball up and instead of sprinting down the court and taking a wild shot, he immediately called timeout; faster than I could yell at him to.  Smart, aware player.  If you missed the game, here’s what you need to know.  The Pistons won by two points courtesy of Billups icing two free throws with 0.1 seconds left.  Detroit may be less talented now, but they still are a solid basketball team with a high IQ.  Billups is one of the most clutch players in the league.  Richard Hamilton’s defense is an absolute nuisance.  But most importantly, the Celtics don’t have their on the court game completely in line yet. 

When the game is on the line and you have one shot left to take, each team needs to have their go to guy.  You can’t have three go to guys; it causes confusion.  You need one guy who can either facilitate or go ahead and take the final shot.  Everyone knew Billups was going to get the ball just like everyone knows Gilbert Arenas, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd and so on will get the ball.  The Celtics inbounded the ball to Pierce who took an off balance leaning fadeaway that wasn’t even close.  Game over.  The Celtics need to figure out in the coming weeks who is going to get the rock with one play left.  I, personally, would trust KG with that because even if he is covered, he has the uncanny ability to find the open man; much like Tim Duncan.  KG is the heart and soul of this team and the ball should be in his hands during critical junctures. 

The Pistons and Celtics play two more times this season.  I see them splitting the games and each one being decided by less than 5 points.  By the time the playoffs roll around, the Celtics will be an improved basketball team with a fourth quarter identity.  It should make for an epic battle in the Eastern Conference Finals.        

Chad Ford’s Analysis - Couldn’t be More Wrong

I was reading an ESPN Insider article the other day written by Chad Ford. It was talking about the Kobe Bryant situation and he broke it down into four questions.

1. Does Kobe have too much mileage?
2. Is Kobe really the best player in the NBA?
3. Is Kobe a winner?
4. Is Kobe worth it?

As good of a writer as Ford is, I was very surprised to see how wrong he was on many of the points he made. I’ve selected portions of his article (the highlighted) and posted my response/argument to them. Have a look.

Does Kobe have too much mileage?

It’s not only the years that concern some teams, but also the minutes. Counting NBA regular-season and playoff games, Bryant has logged 33,576 minutes — 918 games of about 37 minutes each, in just 11-plus seasons.

This is a very valid point because it is no secret that Kobe has racked up a lot of minutes in his eleven seasons. Not only that, he plays extremely hard every night, more so than a lot of other players. His mileage would be a concern but you also have to realize that no one trains as hard or takes care of their body as much as Kobe does. While other NBA players are in Aruba enjoying the offseason, he’s at the gym getting stronger, healthier, and keeping his body in top shape. Therefore, if I’m a general manager, I’m not going to worry too much about his mileage because I know the guy is thirsty for winning a title and he’ll do everything possible to stay in the best shape he can to achieve his goal.

Is Kobe really the best player in the NBA?

For instance, Bryant has never led the league in John Hollinger’s PER (player efficiency rating), which combines a player’s stats and percentages into a single measure. Last season, Bryant was well behind Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade.

To put his numbers into historical perspective, his career-high PER of 27.97 in 2005-06 ranks No. 42 all-time in the league. Several current players have posted a higher PER than Kobe did in his best season, including Wade (twice), LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki (twice), Shaquille O’Neal (six times), Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett (twice).

Here’s where I start to disagree with Ford. What the hell do John Hollinger’s ratings mean? Who are the other 40+ players ranked ahead of Kobe on this list? I’d LOVE to see who they are. I bet Antawn Jamison or Udonis Haslem is on there. I must have missed the memo on when John Hollinger’s rankings became relevant. Dirk and Wade were better in those rankings than Kobe; so what? Dirk was ousted by an eight seed in the first round! Wade was swept in the first round; in the EAST! Those rankings are so ridiculous and they take nothing but pure numbers into consideration. I am 100% positive that Michael Jordan would never have been atop Hollinger’s efficiency rankings but does that mean he was not the best player in the game? Tracy McGrady has twice had higher efficiency rankings than Kobe. Well, first off, it’d be nice to see Tmac play a whole season for once. And secondly, we all know how “efficient” Tmac has been in the playoffs. Shaquille O’neal is going to be ahead of Kobe for obvious reasons. When you take 15 shots a game from 2 feet away, you’re bound to have high field goal percentages. I talked about this in depth with my friend last year and how ridiculous these rankings are. Here’s something for you to look up John Hollinger. Look up how many players in the league are double and triple teamed with no solid, consistent second option. Then tell me how many lead the league in scoring and take their teams to the playoffs in the western conference. Tracy McGrady has Yao Ming. Dwayne Wade has Shaquille O’neal. Kevin Garnett, Dirk and Shaq are all big men so they have a much easier time scoring than a guard does. I agree with Lebron being more efficient but that is it. There is no question that Kobe is the best player in the game, at this moment in time, and has been for the past several years. So you’re wrong to question that Chad Ford.

How does Bryant’s postseason prowess compare to Nowitzki’s? In the playoffs, Dirk has more points per game, more rebounds per game, more blocked shots per game, a higher field-goal percentage, a higher 3-point field-goal percentage and a higher free-throw percentage. In the past three seasons, Nowitzki has led his team to the NBA Finals, while Bryant hasn’t won a single playoff series.

Wow Dirk has more blocks and rebounds than Kobe?! No way! I would have never imagined that! I wonder if..if..he also has more blocks per game than Michael Jordan!  Seriously, are you really comparing the rebounding and blocked shots of a 7 footer to a guard? Making that point is as stupid as saying that Ladanian Tomlinson has more yards per carry than Jeff George. And please don’t get me started on the supporting cast difference. I’m not knocking Dirk by any means but lets not kid ourselves, 10 out of 10 people will take Kobe over Dirk any day of the week.

Is Kobe a winner?

If LeBron were to suddenly be available in a trade, does anyone believe that after six months the Cavs would still be waiting to receive a serious offer? Or 10 serious offers?

Umm, if Lebron had a no trade clause and said he would only consider being traded to three teams? If Lebron had stubborn, idiotic management who traded an All Star (Caron Butler) for Kwame Brown and all they have left to show for Shaq is Lamar Odom? Then yes, he would be still waiting to receive a serious offer. Don’t kid yourself and think that every team in the league minus the Spurs and Cavs wouldn’t take a hard look at trading for Kobe if he didn’t have such a small list. The Wizards would love to send Arenas and change for Kobe, but he’s not interested in Washington. New York would trade the Statue of Liberty for Kobe, but he’s not interested. Charlotte, New Orleans, and other bottom feeders would trade all their young talent for Kobe. Golden State, Sacramento, the Clippers, even the Rockets would trade for Kobe. Don’t sit here and tell me that more than 10 teams aren’t interested in the best guard in the league. Can you honestly say that the Rockets wouldn’t send Tmac for Kobe in a heart beat if that was in any way possible? Please.

Is Kobe worth it?

By then our eyes and hearts will likely have caught up with what the numbers and logic are already telling us: Kobe Bryant is a great player, but in a team sport like basketball he lacks the ability, on his own, to deliver an NBA championship.

Jordan didn’t win without Pippen. Shaq didn’t win without Kobe or Wade. David Robinson didn’t win without Duncan. Hakeem didn’t win without Clyde. No one has ever won alone so I’m tired of hearing people knock Kobe and say he can’t win alone. Name someone who has. Ewing? Barkley? Malone? Stockton? Kobe has his list of teams because he wants to go to a place that will provide him the assistance he needs to reach and win the NBA finals. That is his admission of not being able to do it alone. Why else is he not interested in going to New York or Philly?

Chad Ford is a great writer and has always provided good reading material. However, he was really off base with his analysis of the Kobe situation and someone had to call him out on it.

In Case You Didn’t Know…

…The NBA Season kicked off last night with three games, highlighted by…take a wild guess… Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  I’m an avid basketball fan but I didn’t even realize until a few days ago that the NBA season was about to be upon us.  This led me to think, of all the big time sports in the U.S., the NBA has the least hyped or anticipated opening day of any.  We all know when college football is about to start.  We all DEFINITELY know when the NFL season is about to start because it is talked about everywhere from schools to offices to nursing homes.  We all know about the start of the MLB season.  Most of us have an idea about the start of college basketball.  But the NBA just strolls in on a Tuesday night out of nowhere!  I guess this is because they know that they cannot compete with the college football weekend, NFL weekend (especially this year with Pats-Colts), and usually the World Series (barring a sweep).  I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try though.  I would have watched the Lakers game had it been on Sunday night around 9pm.  And would a little advertising the week before the start to your season really hurt Mr.Stern?

Anyway, only thing of significance that you need to know is that Kobe Bryant was booed and booed loudly at the start of the Lakers game against the Houston Rockets. 

“So what?  Isn’t he booed everywhere other than Los Angeles??” 

Yes.  He is booed everywhere other than Los Angeles but this game WAS in LA.  He was booed early and often in the first quarter, which, given the fact that it’s Kobe Bryant and he’s the most competitive, angriest basketball player on earth, fired him up en route to him dropping 45 points.  Those very same fans that jeered him to start were chanting M-V-P by the 4th quarter.  The Lakers lost on a late Shane Battier 3 pointer, as Bryant had little help from teammates.  Now isn’t that a shocking development?!

Lakers-Mavs Trade Talks

1:47 PM

I have learned from some of a credible source that the Lakers and Kobe Bryant have decided that it is no longer in the best interest of either side for him to continue to practice with the team. It seems as if trade talks are in the works right now and all indications point to Dallas being the destination for Kobe Bryant. It seems that Kobe has played his last game as an L.A. Laker. More to come as I get it.

1:54 PM

I am hearing that Dirk is definitely involved. The negotiations are between sending Josh Howard, Devin Harris, or expiring contracts. LA is trying to get a player plus contracts. Dallas is obviously trying to send over the least that they can.

October 18, 2007

9:35 AM

Kobe Bryant has returned to practice with the team, after initial reports saying he would no longer do so.  All questions regarding any rumors are being answered with “No comment” and we have not heard from Bryant since yesterday afternoon. Bryant is listed as “Questionable” for the teams upcoming preseason game.

It’s Time to Move On

It seems odd to be writing about a basketball story while we’re in the middle of college football, pro football, and the major league baseball championship series. Especially since the basketball season hasn’t even started yet. But here we are, talking about basketball, and who better to talk about than the most polarizing figure in the game since Michael Jordan. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate Kobe Bryant. You pay attention when his name is in the news. That’s how he’s polarizing. You hear about him and either hate him more or love him more. Either way, you have an opinion on the guy.

This time is a little different though. We saw him shoot off at the mouth about wanting to be traded, then not wanting to be traded, then being indifferent about it. Since training camp has started in Los Angeles, Kobe has been mum on the topics of early summer and has focused his interviews and conversations on the future of the Lakers basketball team. Funny thing is, he is the future of the basketball team and his mood, good or bad, dictates the direction of the franchise.

I predicted in an article I did back in the middle of summer, “Eye of the Storm”, that Kobe would have another explosion and the Lakers would be forced to trade him.

…But in order to advance in the playoffs, Kobe is going to need a lot more than what he’s got. What are the Lakers waiting for?

I still can’t see this feud ending quietly. I don’t see it that way. I am giving this until the second week of September, a little over a month, before we hear from Kobe again, louder than ever. And don’t be surprised if this time, a lot of the same media members who bashed him in May have come around and see his viewpoint. He will have a lot more support this time around and remember, what Kobe wants, Kobe gets.

I was about a month off on the time frame, and granted, Kobe wasn’t the one who brought this to the media this time around, but nevertheless, it’s a story again. The Trade-Kobe or Don’t-Trade-Kobe debates have changed direction to Where-To-Trade-Kobe. It’s no longer a matter of “if” anymore. It’s a matter of “when and where”.

So why is Kobe Bryant all over ESPN and national talk radio again if he didn’t say anything? Because his owner, Jerry Buss, decided to unleash the media frenzy by admitting that he will listen to offers for Kobe. Translation: Kobe Bryant is on the trading block. Now what really irks me about this decision is why it took so long to decide to trade him. There were players like Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd available much earlier, yet the Lakers were persistent upon not trading #24. Now, all of a sudden, they have decided that it’s best to part ways. I absolutely understand the importance of trading Kobe Bryant due to his contract. For those of you who aren’t aware, Kobe is the only player in the league who has the power to veto any trade. He can dictate where he wants to go. Kobe also has an option in two years to become a free agent. If he becomes a free agent, he most certainly will sign with another team and the Lakers will get nothing in return. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to trade Kobe for the most value that they can get in return. Why it took so long to do so? I don’t know and don’t understand.

There were rumors that came out late yesterday afternoon that Kobe was so infuriated by Jerry Buss’ opening up to the media, he emptied out his locker.

a) Kobe shouldn’t be mad at anyone for opening up to the media, because he did it first.

b) Those rumors proved to be false anyway.

The reason I brought it up though was because the Lakers season and team cameraderie, any that they would have had, is now shot. It is impossible to play with the same focus and effort when you don’t know if your star player is going to be with you in a week or not. That’s how it will be for his teammates. How will it be for Kobe? I don’t question his competitiveness or want to win at all. I even took a lot of heat over the summer for saying he is as competitive as Michael Jordan. However, he is still a human being. Take your job as an example, whatever it may be. If you are not sure that you will be working for your company next week or not, will you be able to maintain the same type of focus and enthusiasm compared to if you knew you’d be there for 5 years? If your boss was talking to other companies about swapping you out, even if it is at your own request, you won’t be able to maintain the same level of focus at work. It’s just not possible. My point in all this is that the Lakers MUST move Kobe as soon as possible.

Another reason is, if they hold on to him the rest of the season and begin next year with him on the roster knowing that the clock to him opting out and walking as a free agent is ticking, every single team in the league will lowball the Lakers. The Lakers have leverage right now in trade talks. They aren’t forced by the hands of time, yet. They will be in a year. I think it’s best to trade him now because your franchise will get fresh new players at the start of the season, rather than in the middle. Your city won’t have to deal with the constant rumors month after month. The Los Angeles fans will be able to come to the Staples Center without having to fret and think, “This may be the last time I see Kobe in a Laker uniform.” The other time you can trade him, and still be able to get a fairly good deal, is right before the draft next April. This way, a team can offer you a nice top pick to go along with the players that they package. Only downside of this is Kobe’s veto clause. Translation: He’s not going to allow you to trade him to the Bobcats, even though they are offering you a top 5 pick in addition to players. The teams that Kobe will go to via trade are Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix. All three of those teams are championship contenders so they’re not going to have the sexiest draft choices come April.

So to reiterate: Trade Kobe Now.

There are three teams that he will willingly go to, as mentioned above. I’ll start with the least likely of the bunch and work my way to the most likely. Note that in the NBA, the salaries have to match up for a trade to work. You can’t trade Kobe for 5 years worth of first round picks because the money must match. That thought process is used before suggesting or giving my opinion on trades, like the ones below.

Phoenix Suns

Kobe Bryant for Shawn Marion and Raja Bell.

The Suns would make this trade in a heartbeat but the Lakers would be moronic to do so. The dollars match up but the player talent doesn’t. But then again, you can never put something past an owner and GM who traded Shaquille O’neal for Briant Grant, Lamar Odom, and Caron Butler (then traded the best of the three, Butler, to the Wizards where he became an all star and received Kwame Brown in return).

Dallas Mavericks

Kobe Bryant for Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard

This trade makes sense for the Lakers because they get a top 5 player and a solid complimentary player in return. Dirk will give them the low post scoring that they need. Josh Howard won’t score 30+ like Kobe, but 20 a game isn’t unreasonable. The salaries match up. The snag in this trade is that Kobe will be in the same conference and will most likely become the biggest hurdle for the Lakers to overcome in the playoffs. That’s too much irony for Buss to stomach.

Chicago Bulls

Kobe Bryant for Ben Wallace, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich

Kobe Bryant for Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Draft picks

Either one of these trades would work financially. Los Angeles could address a number of needs, most notably a big man and a point guard in the first scenario. In the second, they could get a lot of young talent as well as draft picks. Either way, they would be happy. I think the Lakers would take this deal in a heartbeat. Believe it or not, the snag in this deal is the short pockets of the Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. He doesn’t like to spend a lot of money and if you bring in Kobe, you’re going to have to resign him to an enormous deal. If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with a lot of competition for the free agent in two years. The other reason Chicago is hesitant is because they spent a lot of time and effort putting together the pieces of their team through the draft.

That being said, I think it’s an absolute no brainer. Those pieces that Chicago put together aren’t going to be good enough to beat a Western Conference team. They weren’t even good enough to be in the finals last year. Ask Lebron James what its like to face Duncan, Ginnobli and crew in the finals. It’s no easy task. Kobe has been there, done that. He’s played with the big boys and he’s played them very well. Adding him to the Bulls would put them in the Finals, without a doubt. They’d also have an extremely good chance to win because western teams usually beat themselves up just trying to reach the Finals.

There comes a time where you just need to part ways, and do so without damaging yourself and the other individuals involved. We all knew this would end badly. Now it’s important for L.A. to swallow its pride, and make a move to save face and cut their losses. If not, the fans will never forgive them for letting Shaquille O’neal and Kobe Bryant leave them and getting absolutely nothing in return for two hall of famers.

The Eye of the Storm

Future hall of famer Kevin Garnett finally got traded to the Celtics. The years of discussion about where Garnett should go or how he should demand to be traded are forever in the past. It’s done and over with. No longer can we imagine Kobe lobbing oops to Garnett or Nash and K.G. winning a title together. Two of the most popular superstars in the NBA have been subject of trade rumors all summer. One was quiet about his discontent; the other was loud and forceful about his. The quiet one got moved, the loud one didn’t.

Kobe Bryant has been silent now for the past month. He’s not answering questions about his anger with the Lakers. He’s not posting it on his website. He’s not doing exclusive interviews with Ric Bucher or Stephen A. Right now, Kobe is focused only on USA Basketball, or so it appears.

Obviously, the noise that he made earlier didn’t have the effect that he had hoped. He didn’t get moved and the Lakers didn’t bring anyone else in via a trade. It’s clear now that Garnett was still available to be moved, and the Lakers didn’t go out and get him. Ron Artest was on the block and the Lakers turned that one away. Jermaine O’neal was within reach, the Lakers didn’t want to pull the trigger on that trade either. Instead, they signed Coby Karl and Derrick Fisher. Oh, and of course, most importantly, the Lakers kept Andrew Bynum.

So the Lakers have done nothing of consequence and Kobe Bryant has not made another comment about his situation in the past month, month and a half. Now what? Are we going to go into the start of the season like nothing happened? Is Kobe going to suit up the same way he has for over a decade? Will bygones be bygones and Kobe busts his hump to get a 7^th or 8^th seed in the west, followed by a first round exit due to lack of help? Not a chance.

I don’t think, even for a minute, that Kobe is going to just let this go. You can hate him all you want but you have to give credit where credit is due and when it comes to competitiveness, there is no one more so than Kobe. Jordan and Tiger are on the same level as him, but not higher. This dilemma he is in with the Lakers organization right now isn’t something that he’s going to lose. He’s not going to put up with them not bringing in significant improvements. He’s just not. Kobe is waiting for the summer to conclude. He got a lot of bad press early on and now a lot of that has simmered down. As Ric Bucher pointed out in his column, the Lakers and their lack of action are making Kobe’s case for him without him having to say a word.

Okay they didn’t go out and get K.G. because maybe that would have crippled their future completely. Well, it’s not like they’ve gone out and gotten solid players to help improve the team though. They drafted a point guard last year, drafted one this year, and then signed one as a free agent. I don’t understand what the management in LA is doing but I can understand the frustration that Kobe feels when he sees players like Artest, O’neal, Kidd, Baron Davis, and Gerald Wallace come and go without the Lakers making a move. The Staples Center is going to fill up no matter what as long as #24 is there. He gives them a chance to win any game just like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning due with their respective teams. But in order to advance in the playoffs, Kobe is going to need a lot more than what he’s got. What are the Lakers waiting for?

I still can’t see this feud ending quietly. I don’t see it that way. I am giving this until the second week of September, a little over a month, before we hear from Kobe again, louder than ever. And don’t be surprised if this time, a lot of the same media members who bashed him in May have come around and see his viewpoint. He will have a lot more support this time around and remember, what Kobe wants, Kobe gets.

I wanted to name this article “The Quiet Before the Storm” but then I thought about it and realized that this isn’t the quiet before the storm. The storm started a few weeks after the Finals when Kobe initially came out about all this. Now, we’re in the eye of the storm. The beginning of the summer brought the initial impact, put us all on edge. Now everything is quiet and calm, but it has that feel that there is more to come. It feels like this is just a brief pause in the action, a time for us to gather our thoughts, take a breath, and prepare for part two. It is said that the tail end of a hurricane is often the one that lashes out the most fury, brings about the most destruction. Enjoy the few weeks left in the eye but make no mistake about it: This storm is packed with rage, rage that we will see soon enough.

(”After biting their prey, black mambas leave it to die. “)

Controversy Surrounds Commissioners

July is supposed to be the driest, most boring month in sports. The summer in general is supposed to be boring but July is often the worst. There is usually nothing going on other than elite baseball teams separating themselves from the pack. That’s it. But what a summer we have had so far. Everything was kicked off with the Kobe and Garnett mega stories. Then you had the NBA draft followed by the chase of Hank Aaron’s record by Barry Bonds, which is nearing its finale. Throw in the Beckham “Coming to America” frenzy. Following that you have Vick’s dog fighting indictment and now the NBA has been jolted by arguably the worst thing that can happen to a sports league.

Each commissioner of the three major sports has a major situation or dilemma on his hands. This kind of pressure on all three commissioners of the three major sports at the SAME time is unprecedented. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen to three commissioners within a span of even four years, let alone four weeks. All this leads me to the question of which commissioner currently has it worst?

Bud Selig without a doubt has it the easiest. His big dilemma, for the past year, has been should he go or not go to Bonds’ final games before he breaks the record. I never thought this should be a dilemma to begin with. Of course he should be there. He was the commissioner during the steroid era. He let things happen on his watch. Now he should have to sit there and watch the most decorated record in baseball be broken. He should go out there, shake the hand of the man he used to get baseball popular again and then turned his back on. He was hoping even a week ago that Bonds would somehow get indicted for that perjury charge so that the record could stay intact and Bonds would be off of his hands. (I’m going to stop myself before I go off on Selig for the next 45 minutes, because I really could go off on him for that long). So as I was saying, Selig just has to make the simple decision, which he already has made as of yesterday evening; to be at the games as Bonds approaches and sets the new record.

Roger Goodell has a far more complicated issue at hand. I’m not going to divulge into all the details because anyone who has a TV or access to a newspaper knows everything there is to know about what is going on with Vick. Goodell’s dilemma is one that he SOMEWHAT brought on himself. He came into the league with the badass sheriff mentality. He wanted to clean up the game and get rid of the repeat offenders. He made an example out of the three most known ones, Pacman Jones, Chris Henry and Tank Johnson. Those were easy. Those guys are idiots. I still think that a player shouldn’t be suspended until he is convicted in the court of law but hey, it’s his league, he makes the rules and the laws. I’m fine with that. But now look at the situation HE himself has put himself into. (You’re thinking, “No, Vick put Goodell in this situation.” Wrong.)

A few years ago, Ray Lewis was facing charges of murder. Murder. Not dogfighting. Murder. Paul Tagliabue handled that differently. He let the law take its course and it turned out, Lewis wasn’t guilty of anything major and he got to play in the following season. Jamal Lewis, another Raven ironically, was charged with drug trafficking. Tagliabue, again let the law take its course. Lewis was found guilty and served time in prison. When he was done serving his sentence, Tagliabue suspended him for a couple of games and that was that. I don’t even know what Goodell would do if he was commissioner at the time of Ray Lewis’ charge. He would have probably tried to deport Lewis to Tajikistan or something.

Goodell wanted to clean up the league’s image. Well, Tagliabue faced an alleged murderer and drug trafficker, yet the NFL’s image was fine. Now you tell me, is the whole media circus that we’re facing about whether to suspend or not suspend Vick helping the NFL’s image? Even if he is suspended a year, or cut by the Falcons, is the league’s image going to be better off? This is why I don’t think you should ever come into any new surrounding, new job, new whatever, and try to make too big of an impact TOO early. Suspending players left and right has come back to bite Goodell in the ass. And the NFL’s image, I can tell you for a fact, is going to take a bigger hit so far under Goodell’s reign than it did in the past 10 years of Tagliabue’s.

I can bet you anything that David Stern would love to switch shoes with Goodell right now. Dog fighting, homerun record, those are NOTHING compared to the sacred sanctity of a sport being thrown into jeopardy. Rumor has it that Tim Donaghy is now in plea negotiations with the feds in which he would name more referees and players who were involved in the whole point shaving or fixing of games. I don’t know how the NBA would recover in the near future from something like that happening. This is bad enough. Now, as I wrote earlier, any shady call will be cause for suspicion. In the NBA’s entire history, I cannot name off the top of my head an event or situation that could be more, potentially, devastating for the league. If you can, feel free to let me know but I can’t think of one right now.

Stern is a powerful leader. Whether you like his decisions or don’t like his decisions, you can’t argue the fact that he is one powerful leader. He makes his decisions and he can give a crap less about what the media thinks about it. The dress code targeting a genre or sector of players? He didn’t care if that upset you. Amare Stoudemire being suspended for taking a few steps past a line to help his teammate out? He didn’t care how you felt about that. David Stern makes his decisions and he sticks with them, period. If you ask him a dumb question, or even a good question that makes him feel that you are questioning HIS league or HIS practices, he will put you in your place. Ask Dan Patrick. David Stern is a leader and a commander and that is what they do.

But never had I seen David Stern look as dejected and defeated as he did yesterday during the press conference. I mean, that guy was beat. His voice was tired and his body language showed uncertainty and utter confusion. “If he’s such a good leader, why is he getting timid when things are hitting the fan? A real leader would step up.”

David Stern is getting timid and scared because he knows how big this thing is. He knows how much is at stake. There is nothing more sacred in sports than having the faith and trust that the outcome of the game was not predetermined or biased in any shape, way or form. It is comparable to how the most sacred thing in a marriage is the confidence between the two partners; the confidence that neither one will cheat on the other. But games being fixed or points being shaven is cheating. Now the whole marriage between the fans and the NBA is thrown for a loop. David Stern looked like the husband who found out his wife was cheating on him. He really, really did. Stern has the biggest problem on his hands right now by far. He has to gain back the trust of fans and the media. Anyone who knows anything understands that the hardest thing to earn in life is the trust of someone, once you’ve lost it. This applies in all relationships. Friends, marriages, teams, offices, anywhere. Once you’ve lost someone’s trust, it’s very hard to gain it back.

Selig’s problem will be over in a few days, maybe a couple of weeks. Goodell will eventually suspend Vick for the season and the problem will go away once the NFL season kicks off, at least temporarily. But David Stern is going to face years of trying to gain back the trust of the fans and the trust of the public. This is, by the way, considering that only one referee is involved. God help David Stern if more names come out of this mess because then you’re past the point of marriage counseling; you’re facing a divorce.

(So I’m guessing Sternie will now be against the idea of having a new team in Vegas)

NBA Facing Slippery Slope

I feel for you David Stern. What a nightmare he is now facing. Not even in his wildest, worst case scenarios would he envision a ref shaving points off of games and being involved with the mob. At the very worst, he would have thought there would eventually be a player who would be in heavy debt and allegations of gambling on the game would come out, but not this. Players dressing too flashy? That’s fixable. Games becoming too low scoring earlier in the decade? That’s fixable. Joey Crawford challenging Tim Duncan to a fight? Weird, but fixable. The sanctity of the game being thrown into jeopardy by an in-debt referee involved with bookies and the mafia? That’s a tough one.

We all jokingly say, or even angrily when it happens with our team, “That ref is being paid” or “That ref’s in someone’s pocket”. But do we really believe it? I know I’ve said it. I said it during the Dallas vs. Miami finals of a couple of years ago when Dwayne Wade was getting every call. I thought the ballboy was going to get hit with a technical for looking at Wade the wrong way. I was watching with friends and I was so frustrated by some of the blatantly bad calls that I said things out of anger or frustration like, “David Stern wants Wade and Shaq to win this. These refs are dancing like puppets hanging from Stern’s shoe.”

But the mob??? Of course after my frustrations wore off and I came back down to reality, I didn’t truly think that refs were blowing games either way for Stern, or anyone for that matter. I do know that certain refs have it out for certain players or coaches. That’s going to happen in any sport. That’s the human element. Some umpires in baseball have wider strike zones for some teams, and smaller ones for others. Some refs in the NFL call pass interference on one team, but won’t make the same call for the other for whatever reasons. They’re human, they have history, they have grudges, they have emotions, it happens.

However, shaving points, which is what Tim Donaghy was allegedly doing, is a whole different ball game. To get down to facts, you have to realize that shaving points does not determine the outcome of a game. People tend to mix shaving points up with fixing games. Donaghy wasn’t, as far as we know, costing any teams games or making bogus calls to keep a team from winning. He was simply keeping the points over or under the certain line, for the benefit of whoever he was getting paid by.

So for example, the Rockets are beating the Grizzlies by 11, and the line for that game was Rockets by 9.5. The guy who is paying Donaghy to do what he did would want the Grizzlies to lose by less than 9.5. Donaghy would in turn make a few foul calls on Houston and give Memphis a chance to hit a few free throws and pull the game below the fixed line. Half the fans would be gone by that point anyway, the game is over. That is point shaving and that is what Donaghy is accused of doing.

That is not AS bad as fixing games which is outright costing a team a win. That would be more of a disaster than shaving points. But still, from a P.R. standpoint, this is a very serious problem facing the NBA. To catch any of the refs, coaches or players with a hidden agenda that involves money and the game is something that fans don’t take to kindly. From here on out, every poorly officiated game will be questioned and magnified beyond belief by the fans and the media.

(Can you imagine how buck wild Skip Bayless is going to get with his conspiracy theories? He was probably hyperventilating from excitement when this news broke because now he has something to base his ridiculous theories on. Ugh.)

People will immediately accuse refs of shaving points or fixing games. It’s going to take a long time for this to go away. I don’t believe all of the refs are bad. I actually believe that the refs, given the difficulty of the sport, do a good job overall. We as fans only notice the bad calls. We never notice the good ones. We’re fans, it’s what we do.

One thing I had no idea about but learned recently was that there is no specific restriction that keeps referees or players from gambling in the NBA. Of course, they can’t gamble on their own sport but there are no parameters for restricting gambling outside of their own league. If I were David Stern, or the NBA, as an employer I would make gambling on ANY sport against league policy. This would apply to anyone who works for the league, whether you’re a player, a coach, a ref, or a senior executive. I think allowing gambling without major restriction is like telling your girlfriend who is 500 miles away from you at college that it’s okay for her to go get drunk at a frat party. Chances are, nothing good is going to come out of it. If the players or the referees can’t accept the restriction on gambling, they can play or referee somewhere else. It’s that simple. Yeah this may be a really tough stance but at least you avoid situations like the one the league is in now.

My biggest fear is for more names to come out of this whole scandal. God, I hope Steve Javie and Dick Bavetta weren’t storing G-Stacks in an offshore account while hanging in Sandro Pe (St.Tropez). I hope, for the sake of the game that I have loved since childhood, that no one else is involved in any shape, way or form. Recovering from one bad apple is fixable. But when an entire tree is has gone bad, you have to chop it down. I don’t think any of us want this tree to fall.

(The Sternie has his hands full this offseason)